


Of Little Consequence

by orphan_account



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blind Character, Chapter 9 Spoilers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, Major Character Injury, Romance, Spoilers, it'll get better I promise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-06-29 20:48:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15737079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Gladio finds Ignis in the aftermath of the events in Altissia, and Ignis finds himself without his vision. Together, they help each other through the darkness.





	1. Dusk

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everybody! Sorry for throwing another angsty piece at you. I just adore Gladnis and think their dedication to one another is beautiful. I'm unsure at this point how many chapters this is going to be, but I have a plan in mind. Things are going to get better for them with time, though, I promise!

In the aftermath of Kings, Ignis was left on the cold, wet stone, feeling all at once on fire and completely numb. It was dark, he noted, and somehow hot and frigid at the same time. For a moment, he believed he was dead. 

It would be a fitting death, one he would take pride in. Painful beyond anything he’d ever felt before, but fitting. His only regret would be dying alone, with nobody to witness the weight of his sacrifice. Would his friends ever know what he’d done, and why?

Ignis cursed himself for his selfish thoughts, his desire for glory through sacrifice. All he truly wanted was the safety of the ones he cared about. In comparison, his life was a small, fragile thing. As a child, he’d pledged his life to the throne. While he acted in accordance with his duty, his love for Noctis, Gladio, and Prompto ran so deep that he’d throw his life away willingly if it gave his friends a chance to survive.

His thoughts were interrupted by a groan that didn’t exactly sound human ( _was that him?)_ , followed by another wave of agony so prominent his head must have gone up in flames, burning from the inside out. It was a wakeup call, one that told him that he was very much (and somewhat unfortunately) alive. It made him dizzy, the amount of pain he was in. Words couldn’t describe it, and it almost felt unreal, because certainly no one had ever felt this and survived. It would be so easy to succumb to the situation and let his mind and body go blissfully numb. 

Nonetheless, he attempted once more to collect himself, to locate the injuries, to analyze the situation and find some way to walk out of this with his life. Though the action sent nausea coursing through his aching body, Ignis forced himself to focus and determine where he was, to recall the last thing that he could remember. It all came back to him like a blow to the chest as he gasped for breath like he’d just woken from the most horrendous of nightmares.

_The ring._

_Noctis._

For the first time since regaining consciousness, he opened his eyes, the dim lights nearly blinding him. Everything was unfocused and tunnel vision was setting in, like someone was slowly burning at the edges of a photograph. His sight came in pieces and his breathing came in ragged heaves. The pain was overwhelming. It was all knew. How the simple act of opening his eyes had hurt him so, Ignis couldn’t say, but he longed for it to end. But it didn’t, and the darkness began to close in around him, and for the first time he found himself wishing for death if only to catch a break from the pounding in his head, the feeling of a thousand knives shredding his body all at once, again and again for eternity until he was screaming, voice hoarse, just another addition to the unbearable, excruciating–

“Ignis!”

His name, called out in a gravelly voice above the deafening pain and perhaps his own groaning. It was a split second distraction from his suffering.

All he wanted was for the pain to end. If it meant his death, so be it. He’d done what he had to, for Noctis, for his friends, for his lovers. His job had been fulfilled, even if it had been cut short. If death stopped the pain, he might have agreed to give in.

That is, until a pair of rough hands cradled his head and supported his back. The world shifted, and then there was a warm body beneath him, around him, and it was then that Ignis realized just how _cold_ he was, despite the burning that seemed to consume every inch of his body. The movement hurt, but being in a pair of familiar arms was enough to bring him to whatever senses he had left. 

_Astrals, let it be over already._

“Iggy,” he heard from above, and it took a moment for his foggy mind to lock onto the sound, for his eyes to follow the movement. Before the darkness swallowed what was left of his vision, he glimpsed the face of his lover, scarred and crinkled with worry and beautiful all the same. And then it was all black.

But Ignis wasn’t dead, wasn’t asleep, wasn’t even unconscious. It was dark and cold and it burned but he was still aware, still had control of every movement, every sound that passed his lips, except for the involuntary whimpers that were so incredibly unlike him.

“Gladio,” He tried hoarsely, still sensing the man. Ignis felt him, but couldn’t see him.

“Iggy, I’m here, gods, what…” The man sounded just as frightened as Ignis felt. Considering Gladio tended to conceal his emotions, his reaction was even more concerning. Ignis had half a mind to inquire as to Gladio’s wellbeing, but he knew he’d be shot down, and he was simply too tired to ask. “What did he do to you?”

“My choice…” Ignis only spoke the bare minimum; his throat felt like he’d attempted to swallow sandpaper. And for once in his life, Ignis couldn’t find the right words. “Noct… help him…" 

“Shh, we took care of it. Prom is looking after him now. You saved his life, didn’t you?” He sounded choked up, and Ignis felt a hand run down the good side of his face, the one that didn’t feel as if the flesh was burning off. He leaned into the touch.

The news of their charge’s safety was comforting, at least. This suffering was not in vain. Ignis would sacrifice himself time and time again if it meant saving the life of his prince– no, his king.

With a shaky breath, Ignis opened his eyes, and once again saw nothing.

Nothing but darkness. 

“Gladio–” he coughed, body aching from the action. Every one of his muscles protested as he attempted to sit up. Even his pride was wounded as well when Gladio had to help him sit up.

“Hey, I’ve got you. You’re gonna be alright–”

He shook his head, the best he could offer. Gladio wasn’t understanding. “No, leave me, please…”

“No! Ignis, never. Why would you–“

“Slow you down…”

“Ignis!” The shield’s voice was harsh. Though Ignis knew his reaction came from emotion rather than rage, the outburst made him wince nonetheless. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not leaving you, got it? I don’t care what it takes. I can patch you up once we get back, but I need to get you safe, okay?”

“I can’t see you,” Ignis stated, managing to force out the words. When Gladio slowly helped him up, the new positioning should have caused a change in scenery or lighting. Instead, it caused a fresh wave of fear to wash over the advisor. It was all black, another reminder that something was horribly wrong with his body. No shades or shadows or spots of light or depth; simply darkness, a void that surrounded him entirely. He held a hand out in front of his face, feeling it tremble but seeing nothing. For once, Ignis didn’t understand. 

He heard a gasp, then felt a hand quickly covering the one he’d extended.

“Ignis, what is this?” Gladio asked, but they both knew the answer, and they both knew why the advisor was donning the ring. The jewel was drawn off gently, and although he knew the shield would protect it, his heart began to race. He weakly reached for it, making an unrecognizable sound. He was desperate to keep it safe for his king, but wasn’t even sure where he was grabbing at, because it all looked the same. Dark.

He blinked a few times. Still nothing. Nausea nearly overcame him in the heat of panic, the violent reminder that he was perfectly conscious but no longer had his vision. His hands drifted towards his face, feeling for his glasses. They were nowhere to be found. He felt for a barrier, something that might be obscuring his vision. But there was nothing. No matter where he looked or how he moved his aching eyes, there was nothing. Nothing at all, anywhere. 

“Gladiolus, I– I can’t… I can’t see…” 

He heard a noise akin to a sob come from the body above him, felt the warm drop of what he knew to be a tear falling onto his forehead. Gladio was crying. “I know, Iggy. Just hang in there. I’m gonna have to carry you outta here, ‘kay? Do you think you can hold onto me?”

Any other day, Ignis might be appalled by the idea of anyone carrying him. Opposing the offer now seemed foolish. 

Ignis thought he might have nodded, but he remained silent. Without another word, one arm wound itself under his back while another supported under his knees. He could have laughed at the irony; he’d hoped the first time Gladio would carry him like this would be across the threshold, the cliché beginning of a new life. This was a far cry from his hopes and dreams.

As the floor disappeared from under him and his body shifted, every burn and gash made itself painfully known again, coming alive as Gladio lifted him. No matter how gentle the man was probably moving him, there was nothing but agony. Ignis was dimly aware of a hoarse, throaty scream. Had that come from him?

“I’m sorry, Ignis, I’m sorry, just hold on…” a litany of apologies and murmured nothings drifted in and out of his ears as he drifted in and out of consciousness. Raindrops began to strike his face, soak his hair, and every drop felt like a shard of glass striking at his wounds, keeping him from fading into blissful unconsciousness. He prayed that the gods let him rest, at least for now, so that he didn’t have to feel this any longer. Unfortunately, the gods were not kind. Every time he felt the darkness begin to take him over, he startled awake, gasping at the force of the pain.

Then he remembered it would be nearly impossible to tell whether or not he really was awake or not. Everything was darkness anyways. How would he know what was real? Could this all be a nightmare?

“Gladio…”

“Hush, Ignis, we’re almost there.“

“Please,” Ignis whimpered, letting go of whatever semblance of dignity he had left. He reached for where he hoped Gladio’s face was, needing to feel something familiar in the midst of all this. Luckily, Gladio leaned into the touch, and Ignis nearly cried out as a pang of loss shot through him like a bullet to the chest. What if he never saw that beautiful face ever again?

Gladiolus pressed a kiss to his damp forehead in reply. It was such a little thing, but it comforted him regardless. Ignis turned his face into the source of the warmth and buried his head against Gladio’s chest.

He almost cried when Gladio finally stopped, the ambient noise of rain and the city quieting under what must have been an overhang or balcony. The sound of a door handle turning, and then they were warm and the sound of the rain was a muted lull against the ceiling. They were safe, or as safe as they could be for now.

“Ignis? Hey, we’re here. I’m gonna take care of you. Stay with me, darling, please.” The deep voice and strong arms of his lover was more than soothing, a blanket wrapping around his damaged body, shielding him from the danger of his own thoughts and injuries. His mind grew heavy and warm, and he vaguely registered his lover’s message to stay awake. They all knew the dangers of slipping into unconsciousness after severe injury, the risks that it posed. But Ignis had been fighting for too long.

Try though he might, the lullaby that was Gladio’s mantra left him slipping into the arms of sleep. He’d stayed awake for so long, and now there was a roof over his head and the man he loved was here to keep him safe. There was no fighting it. Ignis’s remaining functional senses began to slowly fade away as he was cradled against the chest of the man he loved. In Gladio’s arms, he finally submitted to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and for the lovely comments. Stick around because there's more to come!
> 
> [Send me stuff on Tumblr!](https://roguespectacle.tumblr.com)


	2. Midnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis wakes up and painfully accepts his blindness. Gladio convinces him that things can still be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of 5 in this journey. Thank you all for the lovely feedback! I now have a pretty clear outline of how everything else is gonna go. Enjoy!

When he woke, his eyes opened to the same darkness he’d fallen asleep to. In fact, he couldn’t even be certain he was awake, not when everything looked the same.

Ignis had dreamed of war, of the purple flames and the magic that had coursed through his veins, of Ardyn’s soulless, dripping eyes as that monster took the lives of the ones he loved. He dreamed of the Magitek and daemons, and when he opened his eyes, there was no telling that his dreams differed from the present. Thoughts and images that had haunted his mind bled into reality, images of death making themselves known all around him.

Even when he shot upright, gasping for breath like a drowning man, it wasn’t entirely clear to him that he was safe from the creatures in his mind. There was no telling what was real, and he grasped at his head, at the bandages he found there that were suddenly suffocating and he tangled his hands in them, desperate to free himself from at least one layer of the chaos.

“Ignis?”

That voice again, ever his savior. Gladiolus. Unseen, but still there, still pulling him out of his own haunted mind. All he wanted was the source of that voice as soon as possible.

“Hey, leave those on, okay? They’re helping you. You got hurt pretty bad,” the shield said, grasping each of his hands and pulling them down from the strategist’s pounding head with a surprising tenderness. The gentle motion showed Ignis just how tense he’d been, Gladio’s steady grip revealing the tremors that wracked through his body. But at least Ignis was starting to feel real again. That was progress.

A series of long, deep breaths helped him to calm his nerves; Ignis was no stranger to anxiety, panic attacks, and everything in between. He’d learned a long time ago how to cope. Even though it seemed impossible right now, he could at least try to get that sickening feeling of dread to fade enough for him to make sense of the situation.

“Where am I?” he finally asked in an attempt to orient himself. Memories of the events leading him here came back in pieces, little snippets of blurry memories that didn’t seem to fit together. All he remembered was the pain.

Ignis shuddered.

“We’re at that hotel in Altissia where we stayed a week ago. You’ve been out for a couple days.” Ignis opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get the words to form, Gladio continued. “The ring is safe and Noctis is in the room across from us. He’s still sleeping, I think the battle took a lot out him. But he’s alive and doing just fine.”

Bless the man for knowing him so well. Though Ignis would not be content until he was able to see Noctis’s condition for himself, Gladio’s words brought him a little peace.

Which brought him to a new problem altogether. Ignis wasn’t entirely sure he’d be able to _see_ Noctis at all, let alone alive. He didn’t know if he’d be able to see anything.

“This…” the advisor began, bringing one hand up to run along the rough, gauzy material of the bandage across his forehead and bound tightly over his eyes. “Can I take it off?”

The air was thick as it filled with silence. Ignis frowned. “Gladio.”

The older man audibly sighed, which didn’t help to calm his nerves. Not in the slightest.

“Well… the doctor said to keep you in bed for at least a week, but I didn’t think you’d be agreeable to that,” he began, voice uncharacteristically monotonous.

“You thought correctly.”

“Right,” he continued. Ignis detested the fact that he couldn’t read Gladio’s expression, couldn’t tell what he was thinking. It was unbearable, being left in the dark. “She, uh, she told me to refresh your bandages every day for a few days, until the wounds closed up.”

“You informed me I’ve been unconscious for a few days, yes?” Ignis pointed out, stomach churning. Gladio must have seen his face, seen whatever wounds he’d apparently collected in the aftermath of Altissia. And the lack of hope in his voice made Ignis want to vomit.

“Yeah. I guess you want them off now, huh?” Gladio confirmed, and in an act of mercy, the gods finally shared their generosity as Ignis felt a pair of hands reach to the side of his head where the bandages were tied off. Funny they should be merciful now, once everything was over.

The Astrals possessed a cruel irony.

He felt the material slip away, slowly unwinding to expose his overly-sensitive skin to the dry air of the hotel. His entire head ached, and his eyes felt like someone had glued them shut. He was almost afraid to open them.

The room was silent again as fear and adrenaline and the little hope he had left coursed through his veins, heart pounding. The mental effort it took to summon enough courage to open his eyes was astounding. He was almost ashamed at the fear he felt towards such a simple task.

Ignis opened his eyes.

Darkness.

He was silent.

Nothing.

Ignis felt the life quickly drain out of him, the tang of bile burning in his throat as he blinked once, twice. Nothing.

“Iggy?”

He turned his head towards the sound, swallowed the lump in his throat that made it nearly impossible to speak the words it had been so hard to form.

“My eyes are open, correct?”

There was no response, at least not a verbal one. Ignis almost had a feeling the shield had nodded his head sadly. He could picture it so vividly in his mind.

“Gladiolus.”

“Yeah, Iggs. They are.” Gladio’s broken voice just confirmed what Ignis had already suspected to be truth.

Ignis Scientia, blind at the ripe age of 22.

Crippled, broken, blind.

“Oh,” was all his genius mind could come up with.

As if moving on autopilot, his hand came up to feel the side of his face that just felt so _wrong_. The pads of his fingers skimmed across rough scar tissue that was surprisingly insensitive to the touch. He traced the markings up his cheekbones, around his eye, towards his temple and up his forehead, where it eventually tapered off. It felt hideous, and he could only imagine how it looked, how his once-smooth skin and groomed appearance would now be marred by what felt like a never-ending span of mangled flesh.

“The doctor said there’s always a chance you could regain your sight. They don’t know much about injuries like this,” Ignis heard in the distance, a faraway voice that he’d almost missed. He supposed the words were supposed to be helpful, but instead they were the final nail in the coffin.

Because Ignis knew there was no going back, no undo button. He had known what he risked when he put on that ring. He was fully aware it could take his life.

Somehow, taking his sight felt worse.

All at once, visions of everything he loved flashed before the eyes, the things he would never see or do again. The thrill of fighting alongside his companions on their journey. Driving the Regalia through the scenic lands of Eos. Cooking new recipes for his friends over a campfire and under the stars. Baking sweet treats just to put a rare smile on Noctis’s face. Kissing Gladiolus goodnight and staring into his warm eyes as they traversed Altissia in a romantic gondola. Watching Prompto scroll through his pictures, proudly showing off the candids, actions shots, selfies, and endearing pictures of the four of them with smiles on their faces and love in their hearts.

All gone to Ignis forever.

“You still with me?”

He felt the touch of Gladio’s hand cradling his face, enveloping the one that Ignis still had hovering over his injury. Felt a warm tear leave an offending trail down his cheek.

“You know this doesn’t change anything, right? You’re still the man I love, and the man we all need. Astrals, Iggy, we’d be lost without you. It’ll take some getting used to, sure, but-”

“ _‘Doesn’t change anything?’_ ” Ignis hissed, recoiling and offended at the idea that things could possibly be the same without his vision. His sight meant everything in his position. Hell, Ignis wore glasses he hardly even needed in order to enhance his perception, his most essential quality. What good was an advisor and strategist who couldn’t even _see?_ “Don’t be a fool, Gladiolus. You know that from here on out, I would be but a hindrance to your progress. I will likely never regain my sight, despite what the doctors said to console you. There is very little a blind strategist could possibly offer the King of Lucis. You know that I would remain with you until the end, but I cannot risk your lives for my selfish desires. You must continue without me.”

The heated words seemed to simmer into silence as Gladio took them in. He could picture the shocked expression on the shield’s face a moment before he retaliated.

“Dammit, Ignis, you don’t get to talk like that,” he growled, voice impossibly lower like how it always dropped during an intense battle, or when he was particularly riled up. “You don’t get to decide your worth like that. You matter to us, got it? Yeah, this sucks. It’s the worst. But I can’t let you go. I need you. _Noctis_ needs you. Even like this. You don’t get to tap out just because things just got harder.”

Ignis laughed shortly, something between an amused scoff and a cry of outrage. “I am _blind,_ do you understand that? I can’t fight. I will hardly be able to navigate. If I depend on the three of you, I’ll be a distraction from the things that actually matter. Take your eyes off the target for a moment and you’re dead. I will not have your blood on my hands. I cannot allow it. Comparatively, my feelings and my life are of little consequence.”

Immediately, there was an animalistic growl followed by the loud crack of what sounded to be Gladio’s fist connecting with the end table. Ignis jumped at the noise, unable to help himself. The slightest things were much more frightening when one could no longer rely on their sight.

“I know, dammit,” Gladio said yet again, painfully resigned. Ignis was always right. Even when it seemed that emotions had bested the advisor, he somehow managed to pull clear and accurate thoughts out of his clouded mind. It was both a curse and a blessing in this moment.

“And of course, my predicament would change our personal dynamic. I’ve always taken pride in my appearance, but it will never be what it once was. This… injury I sustained, it must take up half my face. It cannot be pleasing to look at. And that’s only superficially. I’ll likely never be the independent, stoic man I’ve been thus far. It would be nearly impossible for me to provide for you what I have all these years. I’m afraid I’ll simply be a different man, one you may not like and that you certainly won’t need.”

“Stop,” was the only word that the shield seemed capable of forming. Gladio’s voice was thick with emotion, betraying the tears that Ignis could not see. “Stop. No. Ignis, no. Just… just shut up for once in your life, okay? Shut up! How could you possibly think that? Do you really think I’m that shallow? That I would suddenly leave you just because of this?”

Ignis didn’t have a reply for that. Faintly, he felt more tears beginning to fall down his own cheeks. His eyes felt so numb, he hadn’t even realized that he too was crying.

“What about my scars, huh? You never seemed to mind. You said they proved how much I sacrificed for what I loved. You were ready to lay down your life for us, and these just prove it.” Gladio traced an outline around the largest patch of scar tissue with one hand, and with the other he smoothed over one on the bridge of his nose and one splitting his lip, additional new marks he hadn’t yet noticed. Ignis wondered how many more there were.

“And shit, Iggy, I’d hate myself if I left you now. You’ll need help at first, yeah. But once you set your mind to something, you do more than accomplish it. You kick our asses with the skills you collect. This won’t be any different. I swear, I’ll happily pour every ounce of my time into helping you in any way that I can, if you let me. You know we’ll support you and keep you safe through this. And we’ll be smart about it, too. For you. We aren’t gonna give up on you, so don’t give up on us, okay?”

Distantly, Ignis nodded. Instead of relief, a blanket of numbness settled over him, no longer drowning in despair but still not sensing any hope for the future. He was here now, and that’s all he could say.

“Hey. I’m sorry... I’m so sorry. You know I’m usually no good at this. I’m not as good with words as you,” he offered. There was a sad smile on his face that Ignis could hear in his words. He managed a little twitch of his lips in reply. “But you gotta let yourself hurt. It’s okay to feel sorry for yourself. You… you’ve lost a lot. But I’m here with you. Always. I love you, Ignis. I’m so in love with you, now more than ever. I’m sorry I raised my voice, I’m sorry for a lot of things, but…”

Ignis assumed the sniveling sound that came out of him was what dragged Gladio out of his rambling train of thought. He only had half a mind to be ashamed of the tears that began to flow freely, of the sobs that wracked his body. His lover’s arms were around him then, solid and sure, anchoring him in the darkness and reminding him that he was alive and that he couldn’t bear a life without Gladio.

It wasn’t fair, this mess he’d created. But it happened, and Ignis allowed himself this one moment to truly mourn for his own personal loss. If not now, he might not ever have another chance. Best to go through it with the man he knew would stay with him through it all.

“I’m sorry too,” he finally said in earnest, once the worst of the waves of sorrow had come and gone. “I doubted myself, but more importantly I forgot my faith in you. My only regret is that I will no longer be able to look into your eyes and confess how deeply in love I am with you and watch your smile as you return the sentiment.”

“I know,” came a low whisper, as if once again the shield was trying to hold back any further emotion from escaping through his voice. “But you can still tell me, and I can still tell you. It won’t be the same, but it won’t mean any less. I promise.”

The advisor took a shaky break, body still trembling in the aftermath of his breakdown. But now was the time to build himself back up. “Good,” he said, finally resting back into the comfort of the bed. It seemed as if their relatively short conversation had taken much of his strength out of him. As much as he wanted to continue to stay awake and selfishly let his lover reassure him that they would overcome this together, he couldn’t seem to find the willpower. “Gladiolus?”

“Yeah?”

“Will you lie here with me?”

“Of course, baby. As long as you’ll have me, I swear I’ll never leave this bed.”

Ignis offered a weak chuckle, feeling for the edge of the bed and moving until Gladio was able to slip under the covers. In an instant, he was enveloped again by those strong arms, one curling around the small of his back, one cradling the back of his neck, both making him feel secure in the knowledge that he was safe and loved as long as one Gladiolus Amicitia was by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the angst, but this is rock bottom. Things are only gonna go up from here, and I promise there is fluff to come. Comments help me write faster. Thanks!
> 
> [Send me stuff on Tumblr!](https://roguespectacle.tumblr.com)


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